Luke 19:1-10 tells the story of a tax collector named Zacchaeus who when he heard that Jesus was coming to his town “sought” to see Him. But because the crowd was so large, and he was so short, in order to make sure he saw Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a better view.

Even though Zacchaeus had already been labeled a “sinner”, Zacchaeus did not allow his sinful state to cause him to hide away in the midst of the crowd. Zacchaeus did not allow his deficiencies to prevent him from seeking Jesus out to make sure the he caught a glimpse of the Messiah.

For that reason, because of that EXTRA EFFORT, not only did Zacchaeus see Jesus that day, Jesus SAW Zacchaeus. That day Jesus dined in the house of the “sinner”, Zacchaeus and said to him:

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:9, 10 NKJV)

How many times have we knowingly transgressed against God and felt so ashamed of ourselves that we even found it difficult to come before Him in prayer to ask for forgiveness.

How many times has our prayer been along the lines of “Lord, I know I’m not supposed to do these things, yet I don’t know why I keep doing them” or “Lord, I know that you are disappointed in me because I claim to be your child, yet, keep sinning against you.”

Brethren, the purpose of this message is not to advocate that one not feel badly when they sin, on the contrary we should feel bad. We should feel terrible. Sin should grieve our hearts to the point that we are destabilized.

“And I said: O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6 NKJV)

The purpose of this message is to encourage you that when we do sin, we should not feel too ashamed to come back and ask for God’s forgiveness. The purpose of this message is to stress that when we sin, it becomes incumbent on us to SEEK JESUS OUT! Climb that sycamore tree, and wave our hands frantically to get His attention. The contrition that a repentant heart produces should cause us not to run from Jesus, but to run towards Him.

The Lord knows when we sin. It in not our acknowledgement of our sins that brings the sin to His attention. But it is our acknowledgement and remorse of our sins, that brings to our attention our dire need for Christ.

Satan, the accuser, will come with every weapon in his arsenal and every trick in his book and lie to us that we are not worthy of forgiveness. Satan will lie to us that we can never be delivered from sinful ways. It is his tactic to keep us enslaved in sin! That is why it is important for the believer to understand that no matter how badly we’ve messed up, Jesus will receive us if we present ourselves to Him in our imperfection, and desire to come back to Him. He is the only one that can free us from the bondage of sin, so Brethren, what ever shame we feel should not drive us from Jesus, it should drive us to Jesus!

The bible tells us in Hebrews 4:14-16:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

May the Spirit of God bring us into the full knowledge to the redemptive power of the Blood of Jesus Christ, and how we can continue to abide in it. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

Zacharias’ Account:

Luke 1:

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.

Mary’s Account:

Luke 1:

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?

After the messages were given, both Zacharias and Mary both had a similar question for the Angel. So why was it that Zacharias’ question caused him to be made mute by the Angel, and Mary’s did not?

The answer lies in the very same chapter.

Angel Gabriel made Zacharias mute because:

Luke 1:
“19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

However, in the case of Mary:

Luke 1: 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The reason, plain and simple: One believed the message of the Angel, and the other did not.

There is a terrible untruth being preached out there, and that untruth is that Jesus came to the world to save everyone. That is simply not true. Jesus Christ did come into the world to die for sins and save souls, but it is not every soul that He came to save. It is only the souls that BELIEVE in Him that He came to save.

The easiest and first bible verse that most of us memorize is the very bible verse that is most often misapplied. John 3:16 says:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

In order to have that everlasting life, we must believe in Jesus, and by believing in Jesus, the bible means acknowledging that He is the Messiah and He came to this earth to die for our sins that we might be saved.

It means we must believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Christ rose from the dead.

Romans 10:8-11

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.

At various points during His trial, His journey under the weight of the cross and His crucifxion, Jesus could have performed some miraculous feat to prove to his accusers that He was indeed the Christ. But for two main reasons He did not.

1. Jesus had to suffer for transgressions that He did not commit. He had to be punished, shed His blood, like a guilty man, though He was innocent so that the scriptures might be fulfilled. So that Satan no longer had a claim on our souls because of sin. That cross that Jesus bore on his back as he trekked; a punishment that was reserved for people who had committed crimes such as treason, desertion, robbery, piracy, murder etc. He had to keep silent and allow them to kill Him, the innocent one, for our treason, our desertion, our robbery, our piracy, our murdering, so that through the shedding of His blood, we might be pardoned for our trangressions.

2. The people that screamed for His crucifixion had witnessed and heard of the numerous miracles, wonders and signs that Jesus had performed. Therefore, inasmuch as a grand feat such as Jesus miraculously floating down from the cross would have made them all marvel and finally admit that He was indeed the Messiah, it was up to them to take what they had already witnessed and heard and based on that, believe in Him.

3. All around the world, people celebrate Easter, which is a season that is supposed to be a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. However, popular culture has saturated the season with feel good traditions of easter bunnies, candy and easter egg hunts, and 5 out of 10 people can pass through the season, “celebrate Easter” without once hearing or receiving the message of the salvation that was purchased for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Brethren, we can only be saved by the gospel if we believe in the gospel. We can only attain life everlasting if we believe in the one who died so that we might have everlasting life. We can only start living in Christ if we believe in the Christ who has invited us to come and live in Him.

John 20:

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That You May Believe 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The Lord has spoken, but, do you believe?

Jesus Christ is risen, but, do you believe?

Jesus is inviting us to come and live in Him, so that in Him we may be transformed. But do you believe?

For those who do believe, Jesus invites us in John 10:9, “Enter In, and be saved.”

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

Matthew 22 tells us the about the parable of the marriage feast.’This parable really has 2 parts. The first part which is from verses 1 – 7

“ And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ʻTell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”ʼ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.ʼ”

This portion illustrates how the Lord Jesus came from the Jews, the chosen ones of God, yet, they rejected, despised and killed Him. They persecuted the Apostles and Disciples. As a result, the Lord was angry with them and took a privilege that had been exclusively reserved for them and opened it to the Gentiles. Hence, the birth of Christianity.

Verses 8-14 now illustrates the opportunity that was opened to the Gentiles.

“8 Then he said to his servants, ʻThe wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.ʼ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ʻFriend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?ʼ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ʻBind him hand and foot, take him away, and[a] cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.ʼ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Since the invited guests had forsaken their privilege, the King opened the invitation to everyone else. Yet, the invitation to attend the wedding feast did not actually mean that they would be allowed to dine/partake of the feast. The verses I would like us to take note of are:

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ʻFriend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?ʼ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ʻBind him hand and foot, take him away, and[a] cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.ʼ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Lord is saying here that even though, as Gentiles, He has given us an invitation to dine with Him at the great banquet, the invitation, or calling alone does not exempt us from doing our part to prepare. The fact that we have been graciously invited is not an excuse to come to the banquet inappropriately dressed and disheveled. We have to understand that the bridegroom will be in attendance at the banquet and we need to make ourselves presentable; to look as if we are honored to be there; to look as if we even understand what a privilege it is to even have been invited.

With regards to making an effort, some people might say “The Lord says come as you are…”

The Lord is making the distinction that the calling is “come as you are”, but once we have received the calling, the time that exists between when receive the invitation and when we arrive at the banquet, should be used to prepare ourselves for the ‘occasion’ of the banquet.

Some might say “I am saved, therefore I have to do nothing else except show up on that great day.”

This story tells us that it is the exact opposite that is true. The Lord is saying that all those who arrive at the feast, after having been given ample time to ready themselves, and don’t do anything, will be bound and cast out.

We have to stop misrepresenting the Word of God. Yes, we did nothing to merit the invitation to the feast, but once we are armed with the invitation and the knowledge of the requirements to partake of the feast, we are to blame if we do not do the work required: staying away from sinful ways and allowing the light of Christ and the Word of God to direct our paths, loving the Lord our God with all of our heart and mind and soul and loving our neighbors as ourselves, and letting the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control – work in us to produce good fruit also.

So, Brethren, let us examine ourselves, now that we have received our invitation, are we getting our garments ready? Will they be on when the wedding day comes? Or will we be caught unawares and then remain speechless when the Lord asks us why we are not wearing our wedding garments.

Many will be invited to the banquet of the King, brethren, but few will actually be chosen to partake of the feast. Because, they were not wearing their wedding garments; because they were not ready!

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen”.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

He created light out of darkness, then separated them so that each had itʼs own time. He named them. The light, Day, and the darkness, Night. He created a firmament which He used to separate the waters, so that there are waters above and below this firmament. This firmament He called Heaven. Then the waters below heaven, He caused them to gather in particular places. This revealed dry land. The bodies of water He called the seas. On the dry land, He caused grass, herbs and fruit trees to grow. Each one bearing fruits of itʼs own kind, and seeds of itʼs own kind within those fruits. He then created lights in the heaven. These lights had a purpose. To divide day from night. Also, the lights were to be for signs, for seasons, for days, for years. He created the sun, the moon, the stars. He then commanded the sea to bring forth living creatures abundantly, and fowls to occupy the air, and the seas obeyed. He commanded the earth to do the same, and it too obeyed. Then God created man in His own image: male and female He created them. Then Genesis 1:31 says “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

When we talk about the love of God, we cannot but call to mind His care, His attention to detail, and the way He does things with purpose. There is no aspect of creation that was not done on purpose. The Lord took time with creation. Every detail has a function; a reason for being. So much that on several occasions in this chapter it states “and God saw that it was good.” God felt good about creating us, and about creating everything else that He puts at our disposal. That is why it grieves Him so when we disregard His power, His love, His generosity, His mercy. That is why it grieves God so when we, His children that ought to know Him & seek to know more of Him listen to the unbelievers who try to convince themselves and us that He does not exist.

Romans 1:19-21 says: “because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Letʼs simplify. Let us go back to the beginning when it all started. If we want proof that God exists, and need confirmation that He loves us, then brethren, take a look around. Take the time to actually look at and take in all of the things that He created for us. Which is everything. Pay attention to the time and detail that went into this creation. He is a God of love, and He is ready willing and able to lavish all of that love on us if we simply acknowledge Him, all that he done, all that He does and all that Heʼs capable of doing. He wants us to appreciate all that He did. He wants us to appreciate all that He did for us. Remember, He beheld the works of His hands, including the creation of man and declared “This is good”!

Will a God that didnʼt care take the time to do so beautifully all of that? He loves us. How do I know? Because He took the time to create us and place us in this beautiful world that He created for us. Then He stood back, surveyed us, and said “This is good”! Let us receive that love, brethren. Let us in turn Love Him that loves us so much. He more than deserves it.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ
The handmaid at His feet.

We give God all the glory for seeing us faithfully into the year 2012. The reality about life is that even a new year does not give us time to get settled into it before life starts to happen. Even though we are only 11 days into the year, we have heard about deaths, accidents, illness, fires, separations, divorces etc. Likewise, we have also heard of births, birthday and milestone celebrations, promotions, new homes and cars, marriages etc.

The journey that is life waits for no one. Each additional day we spend on this earth is also one less day that we have to spend on this earth. It is a reality that has to keep us in check every single day.

Now if this reality is indeed at the forefront of our minds – not as something that should cause us fear but as a stark reality that we indeed have to face – the question we need to ask ourselves is – if today were to be our last day on this earth, are we really certain of where we are going to end up?

Will we be welcomed into His glorious Kingdom, or will Jesus say to us as He said in Matthew 7:22-23: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

God, through the Prophet Jeremiah warned in Lamentations 3:40 “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord.” and in John 16:8, Jesus said, referring to the Holy Spirit “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement”.

Have you yielded to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to search you out concerning how you might be living a life that is not pleasing to God?

Have you examined your own ways, acknowledged those short comings, confessed them to God, asked for forgiveness and asked for His Spirit to help you overcome them?

If our answer is simply ” I know where I stand because I’m saved. I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior” then let this Word of God examine that assertion.

“Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who he is. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.” (1 John 3:6-10 NLT)

As children of God, and followers of Jesus Christ, fully committed to surrendering our lives to the will of God, with Jesus Christ as our example and the Holy Spirit as our guide, let us live according to the Word of God.

Let His Word, the scriptures, be our guide. Let personal, spiritual worship be our main goal. Let us desire to know Him better so that we can have an understanding of this love that He has for us. It is an awesome privilege to be called by God. It is an awesome privilege to receive His Spirit that enables us to know Him. Let us commit ourselves to prayer, imploring God to show us how to worship and serve Him aright.

Let us not just make New Year Resolutions, let us get into the habit of making New Life Resolutions. For we truly don’t know what day will be our last. But if we live everyday, in Christ, as if it is our last, then when that time does come, we will, with a certainty, know where we are going.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet

“Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ʻYou shall not murder,ʼ ʻYou shall not commit adultery,ʼ ʻYou shall not steal,ʼ ʻYou shall not bear false witness,ʼ ʻHonor your father and your mother,ʼ and, ʻYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.ʼ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Many of us make resolutions at the start of every new year. The reason we do this because that there are things that we are doing or not doing in our lives that could be improved upon. Also when we make these resolutions, one of the things that we Christians usually include is an aspect of improving on our Christian walk. It could be to read our bibles more, go to church more regularly, pay our tithes regularly, give more to charity, etc. Other commitments come in the form of giving up vices, such as to stop stealing, stop cheating on our spouses, stop dishonest practices, stop quarreling, gossiping, reckless partying, gambling, getting drunk, destructive behaviors etc.

When we make a conscious effort to add something to our lives that will enhance our Christian walk or eliminate something from our lives that has been hindering it, it usually comes from some sort of conviction that we experienced within our spirits. This conviction leads us to say “ Lord, in order to get closer to you, I want to do – - -, or I want to stop doing – - -. Not too much rationalization goes on here, because the action being added is clearly good, or the action being eliminated is clearly negative. Such was the case with the rich man. When he came to Jesus asking what he could do to gain eternal life, Jesus said “obey the commandments”. “Wow!” the man must have thought. “Thatʼs easy?” Then to make sure he wasnʼt missing anything- because that in itself just seemed too easy- he asked “which one?” Then as Jesus listed them, the man did a mental “ check, check, check”, “ hey, he said, I do all of these things already! Of course, for those of us who read our bibles daily, go to church 3-4 times a week, volunteer and pay our tithes or for those of us who donʼt drink, donʼt smoke, donʼt party, donʼt cheat, donʼt gamble, donʼt fight, donʼt use profanity etc, we are like the rich man because we say “Wow! thatʼs it? This is easy. I already do/donʼt do those things!”

But, let us pay attention to verses 20-21 “ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Suddenly, the rich man hears this and his entire demeanor is changed. Suddenly his whole “I can do this by myself” attitude disappears. Now, heʼs being asked to part with something that is not necessarily a vice, but something that is dear to him. Something that is positively meaningful to him. And now, it is no longer easy. Now he is weighing the value of what he is seeking to the value of what he already possesses and is now being asked to give up.

“Why that?” he must have thought. “How does it prove that I want salvation more if I do that?” But keep in mind the phrase that Jesus used before He made the request. He never said that the man had to sell his possessions if he wanted to gain eternal life, He asked the man to part with his wealth “If you want to be perfect”. So, is the Lord now saying that it is not enough to simply believe in Him? Is He saying that practicing Christianity alone is no longer enough? I donʼt believe thatʼs what Heʼs saying at all.

What I do believe that Jesus is saying is that itʼs one thing to simply want to make it to heaven, that is, to escape the perils of eternal hell. But itʼs another thing to want to walk with Jesus. To commit our every breath, our every heartbeat, our every thought to Him. Itʼs another thing to hunger for Him, to thirst for Him, to feel completely unfulfilled unless we are devoting every waking moment of every day of our lives to Him, to the ministry of His love, His compassion, His teaching, His sacrifice, His message, His purpose. Jesus was saying to the rich man, being perfect/being complete is not simply about
what you will do or not do to get into heaven, itʼs about what you will do or not do for ME!

In Matthew 10:39, Jesus says “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (NKJV) I love the way the Message Bible translates the verse: “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”

The disciples of Christ did not become His disciples by simply believing in Him and obeying the commandments. They became His disciples by dropping everything and following Him! No considerations, no mulling it over, no hesitation. It wasnʼt always a smooth ride, and they did not fully understand everything that they saw, heard and experienced with Jesus. But in the end, He made it all clear to them.
So when we are making our resolutions this new year, and we are taking determined steps to recommit ourselves to Christ, let us ask ourselves: Do we want to go through another year just being believers? or do we want to answer the call and become disciples?

And if we see the call as being too big and we start to ask “How will I be able to answer so great a calling? Let the words of the Savior himself taken from Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Brethren, take the a moment to bow your head, or fall on your knees and thank God for seeing you safely through 2011. Regardless of whatever your circumstances, trials, hardships may have been this year, keep in mind that you too have not been a perfect child. By His grace we are alive and continue to have an opportunity to redeem ourselves. Thank Him for His blessings. Thank Him for His protection. Thank Him for all the victories in your life because many a battle were waged and won on your behalf that you didnʼt even know about.

May the Faithful, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Compassionate, Wise, Merciful, Powerful God of all creation, who, in accordance with His Word, never forsakes those who seek Him- see us safely and jealously into and through 2012. May He continue to be our strong tower and may His Spirit continue to teach us how to worship and serve Him. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

Two things fascinate me about this statement.

1. David was not referring to the “salvation” of Isaiah or of the New Testament which refer to salvation/redemption through Jesus Christ, but he was referring to the literal definition of salvation which is the act of saving or the state of being saved from harm/risk/loss/destruction etc.

David recognized that it his intimacy with God he had a sense of safety and security that was completely absent when his sins separated him from God.

2. David found joy in this salvation. Not only did he recognize the loss of the intimacy, he recognized the loss of the joy, of the peace and confidence that came from being intimate with and close to God.

David not only wanted the intimacy between he and God to be restored, he desperately wanted the joy, safety and security that were synonymous with the relationship to come back.

Now fast forward to the Book of Luke. In Luke 2:30 Simeon says “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Luke 3:6, John the Baptist says “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” In Luke 19:9, Jesus says “This day is salvation come to this house”.

Salvation now becomes personalized. It is no longer simply a state of being safe due to acts of righteousness. It now has a face. A point of reference. It is now tangible because it is now in the person of Jesus Christ, and now everyone who believes can partake in the joy of salvation by way of rebirth in Christ Jesus.

That, brethren, is what I consider to be the message of Christmas.

Inasmuch as it is a happy time, and a time to get caught up in the merriment of the season, we cannot forget that the commemoration of Christʼs birth is also the commencement of His journey to the cross where He was to suffer and die for our sins so that we may indeed partake of this joy of salvation.

When sin separates us from God and we know that we have not pleased Him, that is the time when we need to consider whether we have lost sight of what it is that we are working towards. If we no longer feel the joy of salvation motivating us to remain intimate with our God, it is then that we need to earnestly seek His restoration.

At Christmas time we are reminded that “Salvation is come to this house”. We cannot celebrate the season without truly acknowledging what the season represents. What a gift we have received! What a gift we continue to receive! What a gift we continuously treat with the utmost show of ingratitude!

We have to do as David did. Come back to the Lord. Acknowledge our transgression. Acknowledge our weaknesses. Acknowledge our humanity. Confess that we need the joy of His Salvation restored to us.

May the promise, the peace and the mercy of this Christmas season continuously be upon each and everyone of us and may the joy of Godʼs salvation never elude any one of us, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Have a Blessed Christmas Celebration.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

“This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

It was the last line that really moved me because of the mountains of truth that it contains.
I realized that as a Christian, knowing that this world is not my final destination, I really cannot afford to feel at home here. By “at home” I refer to the mindset that one can get comfortable, relax, let their guard down and not have to be vigilant any more.

As humans, when we have a goal in mind, there are calculated actions that we take that are in line with that goal that we are seeking to attain.

As Christians, we realize that one day we will die or we will be raptured (whichever comes first), therefore, if our final destination is to be with the Lord, then we too need to take calculated actions that are in line with eternal salvation. That means that our GPS can only be set on Christ Jesus. If it is, then the Sprirt of God will map us on “Walking in Christ Jesus”, then it now becomes incumbent on us to follow the route that has been mapped out. And here, brethren is where the challenge begins.

Galatians 2:20 says
“ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The obstacles, challenges, temptations, tribulations, tests and trails that we are required to face as Christians are so many and so diverse that we never know how they will present themselves. But trust that they WILL present themselves. But inasmuch as we know that our trials are diverse, one thing that we know for sure is that OUR GOD IS CONSTANT!

If he says “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:9-10)

Then He means that He will always be with us.

But He can’t be with us if we don’t call on Him.

He can’t guide us down His path if we never decide to get on it in the first place.

Psalm 48:14 says “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide,
even to death.”

We’re not only Christians when we are in church, or when we are in the company of our Christian brethren, or when we are in places where they know us as Christians.

Christianity is not a title, it’s a lifestyle.

This world is not the final destination, brethren. But it is what we do while we are here that will surely decide where that final destination will be.

Now to Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

Instead, God said in 1 Samuel 16:1 “ Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

God made Samuel go through each and every one of Jesseʼs sons, and He rejected them all, until he got to the youngest and smallest of them. The process was very significant; not only to Samuel, Jesse, and the sons of Jesse, but to all of us that would ever read or hear the account. The Lord needed all of us to know that He chooses not according to manʼs expectations based on what we can see, but according to what is in the heart of man. Davidʼs brothers may have fit the criteria physically, but it was David that fit the criteria on the inside.

The task for which God had appointed David for far surpassed simply looking the part because David was chosen to be much more than the King of the people of Israel. The process by which David was chosen from amongst his brothers tells us that it is not what people can see that will elevate us or make us significant, but that which God sees in us. In our hearts. That is where our significance lies with God.

We cannot ignore the processes that occur in our lives. They serve a vital purpose not just for us, but for those who are watching or those who will hear our testimony. Far too often when we face trials and tribulations, we Christians are quick to say that the Lord has forsaken us or we doubt God altogether. The truth is that when the faithful of the Lord face trials, these trials are part of a process. Romans 5:3-4 says “ but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Take a look close look at Davidʼs encounter with Goliath. Most of us know how the story ends; David, a young, small, boy of about 17, kills Goliath of Gath, a giant; a champion Philistine warrior.

But letʼs take a look at how the story began. Goliath terrorized the people of Israel, and for forty days, twice a day, he would stand on a mountain, facing them, boasting, insulting and degrading them. Challenging any of them to one-on-one combat, knowing that physically none of them were a match for him; and because the Israelites knew his physical capabilities, they were terrified of him.
We were told in 1 Samuel 16 that after Samuel anointed David, the Spirit of the Lord was heavily upon him from that day forward. We also know that Davidʼs household duty was to shepherd his fatherʼs sheep.

David told Saul in 1 Samuel 17:34-36 “ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his fatherʼs sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

When we are living our daily lives, troubles will present themselves just as David the shepherd boy encountered bears and lions while tending to his fathers flock. He could have run and left the sheep at the mercy of the predators, or he could have gone back to his father complaining about how dangerous a job shepherding was and he did not want to do it anymore. Instead, he did that which he knew the Lord had empowered him to do. He trusted in the strength of the Lord. He faced those predators head on and slew them.
1 Samuel 17:37 “ Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

It was this process that David went through as a shepherd that strengthened his faith in God. David never accredited himself with any sort of strength that enabled him to defeat the lions and the bears, but he accredited God with delivering him from the lions and bears. It was this same faith and zeal for God that gave him the courage to stand up to the giant that had been terrorizing the Israelites for 40 days and nights on this particular mountain. None of the mighty warriors of Saulʼs army could stand up to him, they were all terrified of him. Soldiers. But not once did David even consider Goliathʼs size or
abilities. David did not see Goliathʼs ranting as defying Saulʼs army, he saw it as Goliath defying God. He was not going to battle for Saul, he was going to battle for God and he believed that the God who he was going to battle on behalf of would empower him to win that battle.

Saul attempted to suit David in traditional battle armor but it was too cumbersome for David. It was not what he used when he went into his battles. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40 “So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherdʼs bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand.”

So Goliath, the Philistine champion, in full battle gear; a bronze helmet, bronze armor on his legs, a bronze javelin between his shoulders, a sword and a shield bearer; all 9 feet of him, strong enough to wear a cape that weighed about 125 pounds faced David, the shepherd boy, armed with a staff, a sling, a pouch containing 5 smooth stones, and his solid, unwavering faith in God.

1 Samuel 17:45-47 “ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORDʼs, and He will give you into our hands.” His process had brought him to this point. He was no longer David, the shepherd boy, he was David, Champion of the Army of the Lord.

Brethren, if we truly believe that this God that we serve is all knowing and all capable, then we have to believe that he oversees these trials and tribulations that come our way, and we have to believe that he has empowered us with what we need to overcome them. If we allow the tribulations to divert our focus, to cause us to fear or worse, to cause us to doubt our God, then we are already defeated.

Allow the process to happen. Allow the lessons to be taught. Allow the lessons to be learned. Remain faithful. Remain obedient. Lean on God. Trust in Him. Call on Him. Receive from Him. Walk right with Him, and as He did it so that Davidʼs processes made him victorious, He too will see to it that our processes make us victorious.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

“What if you lose your path and spend the rest of your life trying to get back on it? But just too many temptations, obstacles, and stuff keep one from getting back on. What else can be done in attempt to find one’s way again?”

I prayed about the answer and when the Lord revealed it to me it was simply too long and too important a message to not share with everyone.

“Anonymous”, the answer came to me in one word, “Perseverance”.

Perseverance is simply another term for determination or unrelenting. When we fall off the path, we just have to be determined to get back on it.

Most of us are aware either when we are straying or after we have been off from the path for some time. If we were really walking in the Spirit of the Lord, when we become entangled with actions/practices/things/ways that we know are not pleasing to God, we should feel a separation in our own spirit. Whether we care is a different matter. But for those who yield to the Spirit of God that dwells within them, and are convicted by that Spirit, Hebrews 12:1-3 says:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

One interesting thing about the walk of Salvation is that it has to remain a forward movement. The “sins that entangle” as stated in the passage that was quoted are things that we do that the Spirit of God living within us has clearly revealed to us that we should make every effort to separate ourselves from. These actions/habits/indulgences are the distractions that intend to slow us down, make us stumble as we go along, make us lose our way and if the devil were to have his ultimate fulfillment, make us turn back and go in the opposite direction. The Word of God is telling us that as Jesus endured the Cross by focusing on the joy that was set before Him, then we, His followers, too have to focus on Jesus, and the joy set before us, and realize that the pleasure of these sinful ways are only temporary.

The Word of God tells us that if we are determined not to lose our salvation, then we have to make perseverance and forsight the order of the day. Every day. Knowing that trials, tribulations and temptations will be ever present.

James 1: 2-4, 12 says:
” Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

In order to keep from losing our way to begin with, Christians have to remain cemented in the Word of God. That means reading our bibles and listening to sound, biblical doctrine. We must also fellowship with other Christians for worship, bible study, for support and encouragement. Finally, we must pray. Pray on your own. Pray as a congregation. Pray in small groups. Pray for your brethren. Prayer is such an important element of the Christian walk. It is a vital weapon in spiritual warfare and many Christians, even Churches, do not utilize it.

James 5:11 says:
“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

The accounts in the Bible enable us to learn from those who have gone before us. Based on these accounts, we know that Lord has always protected those who love and obey Him, and His Word assures us that it will be no different for us.
As Jude 24-25 prays:

” Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless. Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, Dominion and power,Both now and forever. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.